Starting this week, we’re launching Japan Fact Friday 🎉 Every Friday, I’ll share one short, interesting fact or story from Japanese history or culture — something memorable, easy to read, and a great conversation starter. Let’s begin with one of the most famous figures in Japanese history. 🏯 Japan Fact Friday Tokugawa Ieyasu and the Bird That Wouldn’t Sing Tokugawa Ieyasu was the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate, which ruled Japan for over 260 years. He is often remembered not for flashy battles, but for his patience, long-term thinking, and self-control. There’s a famous story used to describe three great leaders of the time, involving a bird that refuses to sing: Oda Nobunaga: “If it won’t sing, kill it.” Toyotomi Hideyoshi: “If it won’t sing, make it sing.” Tokugawa Ieyasu: “If it won’t sing… wait.” Ieyasu waited. He endured setbacks, survived rivals, and played the long game — and in the end, he won everything.

“Looks like / Seems …” In Japanese, you can change adjectives to say something looks or seems a certain way by using 〜そう. This is very common when talking about food, weather, people, or situations. 🔵 From い-adjectives → 〜そう 👉 Drop い, add そう おいしい → おいしそう oishisō looks delicious たのしい → たのしそう tanoshisō looks fun むずかしい → むずかしそう muzukashisō looks difficult Examples: このケーキはおいしそうです。 Kono kēki wa oishisō desu. This cake looks delicious. その映画はたのしそうです。 Sono eiga wa tanoshisō desu. That movie looks fun. 🟢 From な-adjectives → そう 👉 Just add そう (no change) きれい → きれいそう kireisō looks pretty / clean ひま → ひまそう himasō looks free Examples: あの店はきれいそうです。 Ano mise wa kireisō desu. That shop looks nice. 彼はひまそうです。 Kare wa himasō desu. He looks free. ⚠️ Common Exceptions (Important!) いい → ❌ いいそう → ✅ よさそう yosasō (looks good) かわいい → ❌ かわいそう ⚠️ かわいそう means pitiful, not “looks cute” 👉 Instead, say: かわいいですね。 Kawaii desu ne. That’s cute, isn’t it? ✏️ Pattern to Remember ＿＿＿そうです。 ___ sō desu. (It looks / seems …) 🫵 Your Turn! Try one sentence: この＿＿＿は＿＿＿そうです。 Kono ___ wa ___ sō desu. Examples: このラーメンはおいしそうです。 Kono rāmen wa oishisō desu. そのテストはむずかしそうです。 Sono tesuto wa muzukashisō desu. Post yours below — short and simple is perfect 😊

Konnichiwa!! Let's try Paired Speaking Practice 2. Attached is the dialogue in Japanese and English. If you have any questions about the words or phrases, please feel free to ask them here! Also there is an audio file to read along with. I recommend listening and reading aloud many times. We want to have speakers that are committed to try to turn up and pairs that can work together easily. So, if you are keen to participate, can you please comment on this post (I'm in or sanka shimasu!). And add your timezone or city too please. In 48 hours, I'll announce the pairs and we can practise the new dialogue and support each other! @Anna Aguilar @Ev Ginguene @Rebeca G. @Karen Claire Patdu @Flo Ginguene @J. Alexander Bennett @Blaize Agena @Harry Lewis @Fenny Kirmil @Psych Butterfly @Tyson Sk @Layyen C @Cicely Love

✏️ Goal: Write a short diary entry in Japanese 🧠 Mini Lesson: 〜たい (want to do) This week’s theme: Plans & Things I Want to Do 🧠 Mini Lesson: 〜たい Use 〜たい to say what you want to do. How to make it: 👉 Verb (ます-form) → drop ます → add たい Drop masu → add tai 見ます → 見たい mitai (want to see) 作ります → 作りたい tsukuritai (want to make) You can end politely with です: 見たいです。 作りたいです。 ✏️ Weekly Diary (Example) 今週、妻と相撲を見たいです。 Konshū, tsuma to sumō o mitai desu. This week, I want to watch Sumo with my wife. 家の家具を組み立てたいです。 Ie no kagu o kumitatetai desu. I want to assemble furniture for our home. 時間があったら、漫画を読みたいです。 Jikan ga attara, manga o yomitai desu. If I have time, I want to read manga. 📘 Useful Vocabulary 今週 konshū this week 妻 tsuma wife 相撲 sumō sumo 家具 kagu furniture 作る tsukuru to make 見る miru to watch 時間 jikan time 🫵 Your Turn! Write 2–3 sentences using 〜たいです. You can start with: 今週、＿＿＿をしたいです。 Konshuu, _____ o shitai desu. ＿＿＿と＿＿＿を見たいです。 _______ to ______ o mitai desu. Example: 今週、映画を見たいです。 Konshuu, eiga o mitai desu. Short is okay! 😃 Post below and I’ll give feedback!

Are you able to make next week's Ocha and Chat Weekly Live Call? Vote in the poll below. There were some technical difficulties which left me on a live call alone for 25 minutes (I almost had to talk to my wife!). But in the end we had a chat about going to Japan, including hiking the nakasendo, playing competitive card games and visiting Aomori ken. Ocha and Chat: 〜たい (want to do) Verb (ます-stem) + たいですDōshi (masu-sutemu) + tai desu - たべます → たべたいです tabemasu → tabetai desu (want to eat) - いきます → いきたいです ikimasu → ikitai desu (want to go) Example Verbs (Action Words) 食べる 食べます 食べたいです tabetai desu want to eat 飲む 飲みます 飲みたいです nomitai desu want to drink 行く 行きます 行きたいです ikitai desu want to go 見る 見ます 見たいです mitai desu want to see 買う 買います 買いたいです kaitai desu want to buy 話す 話します 話したいです hanashitai desu want to talk 勉強する 勉強します 勉強したいです benkyō shitai desu want to study する します したいです shitai desu want to do Example Places (〜に / 〜へ) 日本 Nihon Japan 東京 Tōkyō Tokyo 京都 Kyōto Kyoto カフェ kafe café レストラン resutoran restaurant うち uchi home がっこう gakkō school こうえん kōen park デパート depāto department store えき eki station Example Sentences (Model Answers) - 日本に行きたいです。 Nihon ni ikitai desu. - カフェでコーヒーを飲みたいです。喫茶店　きっさてん　kissaten Kafe de kōhī o nomitai desu. - 東京で買いものをしたいです。 Tōkyō de kaimono o shitai desu. - レストランでラーメンを食べたいです。 Resutoran de rāmen o tabetai desu. - うちで日本語を勉強したいです。 Uchi de Nihongo o benkyō shitai desu. 🗣️ Ocha & Chat Pair Practice (Short Script) A: こんにちは。 Konnichiwa. なにをしたいですか。 Nani o shitai desu ka. B: こんにちは。 Konnichiwa. わたしは カフェでコーヒーを飲みたい です。 Watashi wa kafe de kōhī o nomitai desu. {A}-さんは？ {A}-san wa? A: わたしは 日本にまた行きたい です。 Watashi wa Nihon ni mata ikitai desu. B: いいですね！ ii desu ne! そうですよね。 Sentence ending in level of emphasis: Sou desu. Sou desu ne Sou desu yo Sou da ze